It’s been over a month into free agency and the Islanders are the only team in the NHL to not announce a signing. However, free agent news is finally on the horizon after this quiet start. According to NHL insider Kevin Weekes, the Islanders could have as many as four transactions to announce in the coming weeks. The question on everyone’s mind now is what these four rumored transactions could possibly be.
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After all of the best free agents agreed to new contracts fairly quickly, Kadri has remained on the open market. This has led some to believe that he could have reached a silent agreement with the Islanders pending their ability to clear cap space. Frank Seravalli and David Pagnotta have given this rumor serious traction, stating that they’re close to an agreement on a 7x$7 contract.
Assuming they do have a done deal with Kadri, it would be a huge addition for the Islanders. Kadri was an incremental piece to the Avalanche’s Stanley Cup winning season. He put up a career high in points with 28 goals and 59 assists with seven goals and eight assists in the postseason. He’ll be important in revamping what was a relatively weak Islanders offense from last season.
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Two of the important RFAs the Islanders have to deal with are Noah Dobson and the newly acquired Alexander Romanov. Dobson took major strides from an offensive standpoint last season. He hit career highs in all offensive categories with his 54 total points. It was a 37 point improvement from the season prior and third on the team overall. Dobson also had a whopping 22 power play points last season, good for the team lead.
As for Romanov, he was acquired as a high potential youngster to improve a defensive core that struggled last season. He’s not really much of an offensive threat, but he’s been real solid on the defensive end and has been steadily improving. His speed and hard hitting ability will be a welcome addition to the team for next season. If these deals are completed, the Islanders will have their entire top four under contract for the foreseeable future.
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Kieffer Bellows got an opportunity for increased playing time last season, and he made the most of it. He compiled a respectable 19 points in 45 games played for the team last season. What was encouraging about Bellows is that he seemed to get more comfortable as the season went on. He had a couple of really good games with the team, and looked like he belonged as a starter. Keeping Bellows around could be especially important ahead of this season.
This is because the team may have to trade Anthony Beauvillier to account for all of the new deals coming in. If he were to be traded, Bellows would be the best current option the team has to fill in his role. With a full time starting job, the Islanders can get a really good read on the 24-year-old’s capabilities as a full time NHLer. And given how Bellows performed on a limited basis last season, he could be more than capable of being a regular third line left winger.
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As previously mentioned, Anthony Beauvillier could be a cap casualty for the Islanders this year. He’s been in trade rumors since the start of the offseason so it wouldn’t be a particularly surprising move. Beauvillier is a talented offensive creator for the Islanders who has been regularly a part of big moments. No moment was bigger than his game six overtime goal against the Lightning in the 2021 playoffs. The only knock on his game is that he is very streaky. His points normally come in bunches and is subject to long cold stretches in this regard.
But some team will be happy to trade for Beauvillier and work on developing him further. He’s already proven he can be a valuable asset to a playoff hockey team despite his mild inconsistency. It’s unfortunate that the Islanders find themselves in a position to again sacrifice a talented young player because of salary cap woes. But Beauvillier is one of the most tradable assets they have to make the necessary space, so it may have to be done.
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